John Galecki

Love it or hate it, there's no denying that CBS' 'The Big Bang Theory' has become one of the more successful sitcoms in recent memory, achieving a 'Friends' and 'Seinfeld'-like popularity that assures its stars will band together for big paydays in the future. And while recent contract negotiations with Jim Parsons, Kaley Cuoco and Johnny Galecki held up production on season 8, reports suggest the trio have succeeded in negotiating a major raise. Get that sitcom money, nerds!

Surprise, surprise, and a hearty "bazinga" to fans everywhere. CBS' unstoppable juggernaut 'The Big Bang Theory' continues to reign supreme as one of the most-watched series on television, and the CBS empire has no intention of letting it go quietly into the night. The nerd comedy has been renewed for an additional three seasons, keeping Sheldon, Leonard, Penny, Howard, Raj, Bernadette and Amy Farrah Fowler on the air through at least 2017.

Every actor has a dream of making it big in Hollywood when they get older. Like John Galecki, they might start off in a relatively unknown show that then develops a die-hard fan base and turns into one of the top-rated sitcoms on television, but then, almost overnight, these actors transform into iconic movie stars.That's pretty much what happened to 'The Big Bang Theory' lead because his show is doing incredibly well and his beard makes him look like Mandy Patinkin.